Rain Barrel Planter Renovation!

One of the first garden improvement projects I did after we bought our condo was to install a rain barrel that looks like a rock in my front yard. I figured (correctly) that if my rain barrel looks more like a lawn ornament I wouldn’t get the stink eye from my neighbors or my Homeowner’s Association.

But mostly I wanted something that looks nice since I have to look at it.

The only downside is that the rain barrel is one solid piece and almost impossible to clean when leaves and whatnot block the spigot from the inside of the rain barrel. After many years of service, the rain barrel started to leak. Instead of trying to repair it again, I decided to replace it with this exact decorative rain barrel planter that is easier to clean and winterize. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

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It was easy to take the original dry stack rain barrel stand apart (well, as easy as tossing bricks around for a couple of hours can be) and make it into a custom rain barrel stand to fit the shape of the new rain barrel.

To keep the brick rain barrel stand from shifting with the dirt underneath it and falling over time, I laid the brick on this exact Brock Aver Base Panel over a layer of sand first and used paver edging like this kind to keep the rows of bricks in place.

 

To keep my worn and reclaimed bricks from flopping even further, I ended up using the paver edging with the wrong side out on the first layer of bricks. I used the no show side of the paver edging on the upper layers.

And since I was in the upgrading mood, I replaced the rain barrel diverter with this Oatey Mystic barrel diverter.  Eventually I added a couple of of these rain gutter screws to hold it in place. The diverter didn’t stay in my downspout like the box implied on its own. It needed a little help.

 I like that my rain barrel planter also gives me more room to grow plants!

The rain barrel bows out a little when it is to full which was one of the main complaints I read when I bought it but it wasn’t as awful as those reviews made it out to be. It is easily fixed by using the water in the rain barrel to water plants or something. Problem solved!

Looking for more rain barrels, watering, and landscaping ideas? Check out the following options – and more – below!

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